All 3 'Kung Fu Panda' Movies in Order: Including Series, Specials, & Shorts (2024)

Kung Fu Panda has always been one of the most popular animated TV shows of all time because of how it combines action and comedy all in one great series. Of course, the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise includes a lot of different movies, short films, and series that all occur in the same universe. It is needless to say, DreamWorks really loves ‘Kung Fu Panda’, as it has become one of the biggest franchises in the company.

As mentioned, the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise is as large as any animated movie franchise out there. That means that it may get confusing for some people when it comes to watching the entire franchise, as not a lot of people know the correct watch order. Now, with that said, let’s look at how you should be watching the Kung Fu Panda movies and series in their correct watch order.

Editor’s Note: This watch order was updated in January 2024.

‘Kung Fu Panda’ Movies, Series, Specials & Shorts in release date order

The Kung Fu Panda franchise is not only composed of movies but also of short films and two different series. That means that you might want to keep your schedule open if you want to binge through all of the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise in one go. Currently, the franchise consists of 3 movies, 1 special, 3 series, and 4 short movies. And if you want a quick glance at the entire ‘Kung Fu Panda’ in release date order, this is what it would look like:

1. ‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008)
2. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five’ (2008) Short
3. ‘Kung Fu Panda Holiday’ (2010) Special
4. ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ (2011)
5. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters’ (2011)Short
6. ‘Legends of Awesomeness’ (2011-2016) 3 Seasons
7. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll’ (2016) Short
8. ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ (2016)
9. ‘Panda Paws’ (2016) Short
10. ‘The Paws of Destiny’ (2018-2019) 2 Seasons
11. ‘The Dragon Knight’ (2022-2023) 3 Seasons

Are all ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies, shorts, specials & series connected? What’s the best way to watch them?

All the “Kung Fu Panda” movies, shorts, specials, and the series are connected. They form a cohesive and interconnected franchise that follows the adventures of Po, a clumsy and lovable panda who becomes the Dragon Warrior and learns kung fu to protect the Valley of Peace.

The best way to watch the entire franchise is in release date order if you’re new to it; however, if you are a lifelong fan looking to rewatch the entire franchise and you are already familiar with the world, there’s a specific chronological order that you should be following.

‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise in chronological order

The issue with the chronological order is mostly with shorts, specials and tv series and it is as follows:

1. ‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008) – Movie
2. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets Of The Furious Five’ (2008) – Short Film
3. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Legends Of Awesomeness’ (2011-2013) – Television Series
4. ‘Kung Fu Panda Holiday’ (2010) – Short Film
5. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets Of The Masters’ (2011) – Short Film
6. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets Of The Scroll’ (2016) – Short Film
7. ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ (2011) – Movie
8. ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ (2016) – Movie
9. ‘Panda Paws’ (2016) – Short Film
10. ‘Kung Fu Panda: The Paws Of Destiny’ (2018) – Television Series
11. ‘Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight’ (2022) – Television Series

Now that you have an idea of the correct ‘Kung Fu Panda’ chronological order, let’s look at the reasons why this is the correct order.

1. ‘Kung Fu Panda’ (2008)

The first ‘Kung Fu Panda’ film, released in 2008, tells the story of how Po was chosen to become the Dragon Warrior, who is said to be the legendary fighter that could defeat Tai Lung, whom none of the Furious Five could defeat. In this movie, Po is merely an ordinary panda working for a noodle shop but gets named the Dragon Warrior in what seemed like an accident (even though it wasn’t). As such, he began training as the Dragon Warrior so that they could defeat Tai Lung once and for all.

2. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Furious Five’ (2008)

After the first ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movie, ‘Secrets of the Furious Five’ was released. This is a short film that allows us to get to know each member of the Furious Five because the first movie never really told us anything about the backstories of the characters. In that regard, this should be a great movie for those who want to get to know more about the characters involved in the entire franchise.

3. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness’ (2011)

A lot of people tend to get confused about where ‘Legends of Awesomeness,’ an 80-episode TV series, takes place in the entire ‘Kung Fu Panda’ timeline. However, it was revealed that this series, although released in 2011, was meant to be a bridge between the first and second ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies. It even allows us to see the training that Po underwent so that he could really own the title of Dragon Warrior, as we saw him in ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ already stronger than any of the members of the Furious Five, who he couldn’t defeat back in the first movie.

4. ‘Kung Fu Panda Holiday’ (2010)

‘Kung Fu Panda Holiday’ is the second Kung Fu Panda short film and is a movie that allows us to get to know more about what being the Dragon Warrior is all about, as the title actually comes with a lot of responsibilities. In that regard, we get to see Po learning how to become more of a responsible Dragon Warrior, which is a title that is as full of responsibilities as it is prestigious.

5. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters’ (2011)

‘Secrets of the Masters,’ released in 2011, is supposed to be a short film that you should watch back-to-back with ‘Secrets of the Scroll.’ Make sure that you watch this film before ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ because this story allows you to get to know more about the different masters introduced in ‘Kung Fu Panda 2.’

6. ‘Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll’ (2016)

Although it was released in 2016, ‘Secrets of the Scroll’ should be a short film that you should watch before watching ‘Kung Fu Panda 2.’ That’s because it allows you to understand the Furious Five more as you head into the next installment of the main Kung Fu Panda movie franchise.

7. ‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ (2011)

‘Kung Fu Panda 2’ is the second installment of the main film series in the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise. At this point, Po has already proven himself as the Dragon Warrior and is tasked with protecting the Valley of Peace alongside the Furious Five. However, an enemy armed with a deadly new weapon that was able to defeat almost all of the Kung Fu Masters emerged. It is now up to Po to stop this new enemy as the fate of the entire country of China and of Kung Fu hangs in the balance.

8. ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ (2016)

‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ happens directly after the second installment of the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise. In this movie, Po has not only become the protector of the Valley of Peace but all of China as well. However, a new supernatural villain named Kai emerged and started kidnapping Pandas out of fear of a prophecy of a Panda defeating and overthrowing him. In that regard, Po and his friends embark on a new adventure that will allow him to learn more about his past while deepening his connection with Kung Fu.

9. ‘Panda Paws’ (2016)

‘Panda Paws’ is the final short film in the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise. The film follows the story of Mei Mei, a resident of the Panda village, as she embarks on a journey to become the best ribbon dancer in all of China. In that regard, the film doesn’t add a lot to the entire ‘Kung Fu Panda’ story, but it still is quite entertaining for those who love the franchise.

10. ‘Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny’ (2018)

‘Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny’ is a TV series that was released in 2018 and followed the story of Po right after the events of ‘Kung Fu Panda 3.’ In this series, Po now takes on the role of a teacher as he has to train four young pandas who have mysteriously powerful chi. As such, they now go on a journey to become better Kung Fu fighters while taking on evil villains.

11. ‘Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight’ (2022)

‘Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight’ is a Netflix original series that follows the story of Po as he meets an English Knight called the Wandering Blade, who is on a quest to find stolen weapons of great power. Their goal is to recover the weapons and save the world from destruction as Po helps the knight redeem her honor as well.

Where to watch all the above-mentioned movies and series?

Since ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise is massive there’s not a single place where you can watch absolutely all installments:

Will there be more ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies?

There will be more ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movies. DreamWorks Animation has confirmed the production of ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ set to be one of the last two films created entirely in-house at their Glendale campus. The film will be directed by Mike Mitchell, with co-direction by Stephanie Ma Stine and production by Rebecca Huntley. Jack Black revealed the premise of the film at CinemaCon, and it is expected to continue the beloved ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise. However, reports suggest that DreamWorks Animation is transitioning away from in-house production, relying more on external studios. Sony Pictures Imageworks is mentioned as the animation service for future projects like ‘Dog Man’ and two other unannounced films scheduled for 2025.

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